Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-08-25
PART III--CHAPTER I.
NEWS FROM TEE SlT-Tu

The month sof September was draw.
ing TO close. The season was re
markedly mild. the weather fair ant
pleasant that autumn along the upper
Atlantic shores of our country. Upon
the afternoon of this day from the high
ground near the old Lobdell House, al
Provincetown, the bay was spread out
like q beautiful panorama to the view.
Outward and inward bound vessels,
some with clouds of canvas spread
allow and aloft as they started upon
voyages of thousands of miles; Others
coming in with sails reefed, to be towed
up to the city; two or three steamers,
trailing behind them a long black wake
of smoke from their tunnels: fishing
craft by the score, and here and there
4 beautiful yacht on a short pleasure
cruise-these were the characteristic
features that enlivened the bay, and
made it appear the busy picture OF
life, commerce and enjoyment that il
was.
We have heard from the lips Of the
owner of the old house a brief descrip-
ton of it. To that little need be added.
Yet stranger. especially if he had an
eye to the picturesque and the incon-
gruous, would have scanned the old
building with curiosity. 1t was SO
large, and the uninhabitable part
of it so extensive, that its last owner
had thought best not to do any thing
for the appearance of the unused part.
Therefore. while about one-third of it,
at one end. was neatly painted, the
windows hung with green blinds, and
ivy clambered over the door, the great
er part of the building was time
stained, weather-beaten and nearly in
ruin. Windows were shattered and
several sashes were missing. Doors
hung by a single rusted hinge.
Loosened clapboards sounded in time
of high wind. If houses, like men,
have their life and death, both were
surely embraced in this old relic of
colonial days.
The hour was about the middle of the
afternoon. Mrs. Willis stood in the
doorway, looking down the street. She
was anxious and troubled. BY the
careful reckoning that her husband
had made before bidding her adieu.
after making all allowances for deten-
tons and unfavorable winds, he should
have returned week ago. The ap-
pearance of the bark was familiar to
her, and often she came thus to the
door and scanned the ocean beyond the
cape, hoping to be gladdened by the
sight of the home-returning Nellie. Her
daughter went daily to the post-ofice;
she had gone there now, and Mrs. VIII
lis paused at the door and waited, as
she saw her slowly approaching.
..She has no letter." thought the
wife, with q sigh. .'She does not walk
fast"
e A group Of battered and superanu-
ated sailors, who loved to come up here
and take observations of the bay from
a neighboring sand-hill while smoking
their pipes, observed Mrs. Willis at the
door and Helen coming back from the
town.
Them folks are getnn' anxious"
one Observed.
Bout the bark?"
There was a grunt of assent
well. they needn't A week or
two weeks over time amt nothing on
a wye to the gulf
The oracle of the party. an old, one
eyed fellow, whose face looked like a
thickly-knotted section of oak-bark,
pulled vigorously for a moment, and
then announced,in a mysterious way:
II don't agree with them as says
there needn't be no fear for the Nellie
Willis. Not the pleasant young woman
comm up the street yonder-God
bless her bright eyes,-but her name
sake that we saw round the point there
so finely in August. / don't say much,
but think good deal; and | SAYS to
myself that time, says /: Goodbye to
Aaron Willis and his ship"
A profound silence followed this re-
mark. Ne one was ever presumptuous
enough to ask the oracle the reasons
Tor his opinions; but all knew that he
would not fail to state them as soon as
hey had made sufficient impression.
II says to Aaron himself" he con-
sinued. in a moment, 1.-The day before
ne sailed - says /: Captain Aaron,
you're a bold man to go to sea now,
With. all the .spooks of old buccaneer
Lobden and his crew going along with
ron.
90 says he, with a laugh-and I
ell We. it makes me SILVER to hear any
nan laugh at a spook!-says he:
there's enough of 'em roamin' round |
he old garnet and down cellar, I'm
.fraid. but they'll never follow me-
They'll stay right there. Fact is, /
lave a notion that the old freebooters |
rot SO in love while they were alive,
hat they can't quit it now, and lie |
Iuiet in their graves, as good Christian |
,orpses orter.'" /
did he say nbat?' one of the awe
truck crowd asked. Il
lave, he did, I'd never had a chance |
o talk with him so free before that,
bout the awful bad name the old |
lace has got But he told me all |
bout it.
What was it, Uncle Peterr' half-a-
oxen eagerly asked.
The old man shook his head with |
n air and an aspect of superhuman
7isdom.
20, don't say what he told me.
int one O. your talkin' kind. Only
o say that the things he told me was
7orse'n any thing we ever thought
bout the place"
..What was it like. uncle?"